Crazy Ants

[Texas-Tech]

Just in case no one has run into these little fellas here are some shots of what they look like in action. Found these in South Houston today, so anyone on the south side of town should be aware of them in case there not already in a neighborhood near you.

Also in response to Selfemployed's post on the praying mantis, I ran into a walking stick there also.. pretty cool little critters.http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm256/T_tech/

[Shophound]

I understand they're called "crazy raspberry ants" because they don't move about in an orderly fashion like regular ants do. I also heard they eat fire ants.

[Texas-Tech]

they run in every direction at incredible speeds. We're about to set 7 condensers on the pad where I took the pics. Hope they get an exterminator to come out first.

[A/C guy's chick]

Keep down there... If they come up here, out comes the Lorsban.

[Catpower]

They look like they can make us as much money as fire ants do

I heard they don't bite like fire ants do, the first time I ran into fire ants in a contactor, I blew them out with R 22 (it was legal back then) but it was stupid, as they blew back all over me

I know I'm losing, but I'm at war with fire ants

[spotts]

They're Cuuuuute!

[ar_hvac_man]

they run in every direction at incredible speeds. We're about to set 7 condensers on the pad where I took the pics. Hope they get an exterminator to come out first.

Stock up on contactors.

[Texas-Tech]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Mr Chesapeake]

I hate fire ants. I'm allergic to them and bees. Haven't seen crazy ants yet.

[mark beiser]

I saw a bit on the news about those last year.

Keep them down there please!

Unlike fire ants, they are highly resistant to consumer grade poisons. The professional grade stuff will kill them, but they build bridges of ant corpses to cross the lines of poison...

Actually, part of me hopes they make it up here real soon.
$$$$$Contactors$$$$$$!

[gasoilair]

What, do those ants have something with electricity?

I have these huge black carpenter ants around the yard that I've been burning every chance I get. They're getting big enough to pull a dogsled now.

Now that the damn centipedes all went away, I can get back to trying to stop these damn carpenter ants from establishing a beachhead in my yard.

[mark beiser]

What, do those ants have something with electricity?

Supposedly they are attracted to electrical stuff more than other ants, and they come in huge numbers, not just a thin conga line like most ants we are used to.

I forgot where they are from, but they hitched a ride to the US on a ship, and made their way ashore at the Port of Houston.

But hey, on the bright side, they don't really bite, and they eat fire ants!

[BrianS368]

Carpenter ants are coming out of one run of ductwork from my forced-air HVAC system! The register is located in my family room, the ductwork is wrapped in foil insulation and runs sub-floor all the way back to the HVAC unit, which is located in the basement.

I have searched the house perimeter - no ant trails.
I have pulled the insulation surrounding the upturn leading to the register. No sign.

The ants are coming into the living room from inside the ductwork. This register and run of ductwork is the farthest from the HVAC unit and no other register has signs of ants.

Any ideas on where these guys are originating from?